Tokyo Diary 2018
Tokyo, Japan
Tokyo has always been one of my absolute favourite cities and I try to go every second year also because my oldest friend lives there and since recently also started her own little family there. The city to be combines perfectly what I love in safety, being clean and organized yet on the other side, crazy colourful, amazing people and something new to explore every time I come there. I could still not imagine living there, but I warm up to that idea the more often I go. I've written plenty of little posts on Tokyo in the past, so this is one is a summary of three weeks and everything new and useful I discovered. If you have any questions, let me know via social!
Oct. 29, 2018
Labels: On track, Working Sailor
[Outfit] Jumpsuit: Fenty x Puma via zalando / cap: topshop via zalando
[Outfit] Jumpsuit: Fenty x Puma via zalando / cap: topshop via zalando / sneaker: adidas Stan Smith
MORI Building DIGITAL ART MUSEUM: teamLab Borderless
Probably one of the most amazing things that we did while in Tokyo. You have to buy the tickets in advance and they do sell out pretty quickly and are available for each upcoming month here. You might still have to wait a little bit, but that's usually not more than 20 minutes. The place itself is pretty crowded and they advise you to come later during the day to avoid everyone being there first thing in the morning. Also there are 1-2 rooms (not entirely sure how many) that require extra waiting lines. They are supposed to be the most spectacular but we weren't up for waiting another 90 minutes to get in there.My favourite room was the crystal light room that was filed with hanging led strips alternating in colours. Additional to that I also really loved the second floor that I almost missed which was an even more interactive. You could draw your own creatures and see them being animated as light figures on the wall and there was a huge bouncy field with inflated light balloons. For breaks there is also the chance of a tea session that projects lights and flowers directly into your tea cup.
One of my main activities in Tokyo was obviously trying all the food there is and everything I haven't tried before. I'll highlight a few of my favourite restaurants for you to check out below. Obviously there is sushi everywhere and I have two favourites for different reasons. The best sushi (fish wise) I found here ("Edo-style sushi Moriichi Kameido Ekimae" 6 丁目-59-7 Kameido, Koto, Tokyo 136-0071, Japan) the most interactive and fun way to eat sushi was like you see it below, where you could order via a computer and it would fly directly to your place via a little train system. This one is located right in Shibuya ("Uobei" - Japan, 〒150-0043 Tokyo, Shibuya, Dogenzaka, 2)
I myself am not the biggest Rahmen fan, at least not from the moment I discovered Udon and Tsukemen. By far my favourite Tsukemen place, actually my absolute favourite food place in Tokyo in general is this one ("Fu-unji" Japan, 〒151-0053 Tokyo, Shibuya, Yoyogi, 2 Chome−14-3) and for the best Udon make sure you visit here ("Tsuro Ton Tan" Japan, 〒106-0032 Tokyo, Minato, Roppongi, 3 Chome−14−12 六本木三丁目ビル 1F) Also on a site note, while talking about food, fresh vegetables and especially fruits are quite expensive - my peach for example cost 5,00 Euros.
The Tokyo subway/train system is easier than you might expect. The only thing that takes getting used to is that there are multiple different train companies operating the network and you need a different ticket for most of them. There is also no week pass or monthly ticket or even a day ticket due to this. There is however a pay as you go card called "pasmo card" or "suica card". They are sold by different companies but work exactly the same. You put money on them and it deducts a fee every time you enter and exit a subway/train station. Be aware though... even if you only cross a station or want to go inside for something to eat, it charges you a minimum amount as soon as you enter. In some statins you might also have to exit one area and enter another area due to competing train operators.
I'm also a little but obsessed about Japanese uniforms. They have such a variety of them in the most beautiful colours that it often reminds me of a Wes Anderson movie. I tried to capture as many as possible, but there are so many more that I missed.
[Outfit] Top & Skirt: Weekday via zalando / scarf: arket / sneaker: nike via zalando
Odaiba is definitely one of my most visited areas even though it's a little out there. Located towards the south you take almost an hour to get there (from Shinjuku with not an ideal connection). It feels like a super retro futuristic place that is located directly at the water and even has a little beach. Other than that it has a statue of liberty, a life size gundam statue and my absolute highlight, an 80s retro arcade. Not only can you play all sorts of arcade games, you can shop for the weirdest things and souvenirs you can think of. It's called "Daiba Itchome Shotengai" and you can find it on the first floor of DECKS which is a shopping mall there. (1 Chome-6-1 Daiba, Minato, Tokyo 135-0091, Japan) Check out a few photos of the craziness below.
Shopping in general is probably where I left most of my money during this trip! To name all the places I've been to is almost impossible and I've actually written about a few of them in previous blogposts which I will link here, but I'll also add a few new ones. To start out, I can highly recommend Koenji as an area itself because there are vintage stores literally everywhere. This blogpost highlights a few of these stores but you will find endless more just by roaming the streets around Koenji station. The area itself is also perfect for grabbing a little snack. One of my all time highlights is DOG in Harajuku (B1F, 3-23-3 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku Tokyo) Lady Gaga, Rihanna and FKA Twigs shop here for obvious reason. Everything looks more like a costume or a stage outfit. They collect vintage clothe and then customize it to give it a unique look. It is one of the first shops I discovered, and one I always have to come back to! I spend quite a bit of time at LAFORET (1 Chome-11-6 Jingumae, Shibuya, Tokyo 150-0001, Japan) this time which is like a mall for cool designer and street wear brands. Affordable but super well selected and as it rained the whole day, the perfect place to stay for 7 (!!!) hours. My highlight brands were "x-girl", "LHP women" & "M.Y.O.B" (located at Laforet) and "kol me baby" (located at Shibuya 109).
[Outfit] Top: Opening Ceremony via zalando / pants: weekday / sneaker: adidas Stan Smith
[Strifys Outfit] Top: Urban Outfitters / pants: Ragged & Priest via zalando / shoes: Buffalo London
[Outfit] Top: arket / skirt: joyrich / hat: asos / sneaker: nike via zalando
[Outfit] Top: arket / pants: monki / scarf: vinatge
